John Pletz On Technology

Bigger, better things for Sam Yagan at Match.com

It looks like Sam Yagan is getting a promotion in the restructuring of Barry Diller's InterActiveCorp.

Mr. Yagan in 2011 sold his website, OKCupid.com, to IAC, which owns Match.com. In 2012 he was named CEO of Match Inc. His responsibilities grew today when IAC announced it was adding several new businesses to the Match portfolio, including Tutor.com and Daily Burn. Together, they'll be called Match Group.

Mr. Yagan will be CEO of Match Group and Greg Blatt, IAC's former CEO, will be chairman.

“Match Group, with early and later stage businesses, collectively represents a significant portion of IAC's value,” Mr. Diller said in a statement. “Our ambitions for growth here are great, and with Greg continuing to work alongside Sam Yagan and the talented management teams these businesses have in place, I have utterly no worry that our goals will be realized."

John Blackledge, a New York-based analyst at Cowen Group Inc., told Bloomberg News, “It seems to be a fairly significant step toward a spinoff of Match or some kind of breakup situation. They are effectively aligning the best management resources in the best way possible.”